The Gold at the End of the (Junker's) Rainbow

We've all heard that everything's bigger in Texas. In my 5 years of living here, I've come to realize this is definitely true, and definitely includes antique fairs. Specifically, the Round Top Antique Show. Twice a year, Round Top, Texas (population: 90) turns into the biggest antique fair in Texas. Customers not only come from all over Texas, but all over the United States, to walk MILES through this fair. And, what started out local to Round Top has now spread to the surrounding 4-5 towns.

I'm not big into antiques, but I am definitely into finding some old "junk" and fixing it up. My childhood was spent riding shotgun in my mom's van scouting out the best trash in the neighborhood and dragging it home. We would then spend the summer in the garage fixing everything up, transforming our neighbors' trash into our own treasure. Needless to say, I was instinctively drawn to Round Top, and I've visited for the last 3 years.

My husband and I are planning to show our new product line at several fairs this Fall, so today I drove out to Round Top, east of Austin, to see kind of creative product displays I could come up with amidst the antiques and "junk."

Having gone to the show a few times now, I had a pretty good idea of where I wanted to go. If I was staying a few days, I would have taken my time, but this needed to be a quick in-and-out kind of trip. So, as soon as I got out of the Round Top traffic, I went straight through town and headed South to Warrenton.

Moooooooove! What a crazy day of traffic in Round Top, Texas.

Warrenton is a town just a few minutes south of Round Top, and it has some more casual "junk" shows compared to Round Top's elegant, paid entry antiquing. My favorite place to go: Bar W. The Bar W Field is basically a huge field with aisle upon aisle of tents. You're sure to find anything you're looking for here - the sky's the limit. Parking is free and the vendors are so sweet - if you make a big purchase you can leave your product there to continue shopping, then pull your truck up later to load your goods.

If you're like me and want to find some "junk" to fix up or use for a project, this is the place to be. There are miles of metal letters, old window frames, tin canisters, french doors, shelves, glass bottles, antlers, frames, ladders, linens - I could go on and on.

The tough part is knowing when to stop. I went in circles for a few hours today comparing products and prices, figuring out where I could get the most ideal piece for the very best price. Make sure you go with a list prepared, and refer to it often while you're shopping. It's easy (but fun) to get sidetracked here! You'll also need to remember where you parked and where you bought items to pick up later. Luckily, the aisles are marked with letters, and vendors are so kind, they'll often give you their mobile number in case you get so lost you can't find your way back.

A gorgeous industrial shelving unit that I am kicking myself for not purchasing!

I powered my way through as much as possible this morning and was out of there with everything I needed by noon! I got a great long frame with chicken wire to display our prints and our new greeting cards, along with some great rustic shelving units to display mugs, framed art, and more exciting new products. It was definitely worth the 2 hour drive from Fort Hood to find the trash - turned treasure - at the end of the rainbow!

Circle back to the blog at the end of October to see our new set up in action! Or - if you're in the Waco area the weekend of October 15th, come visit us at the Waco Fall HodgePodge. Details here!